Schools What courses needed for molecular biology grad school?

AI Thread Summary
An applied math major is planning to pursue graduate studies in molecular biology and has outlined a course plan that includes foundational biology and chemistry courses, as well as bioinformatics and biological sequence analysis. The individual is questioning whether this course selection is sufficient for admission to graduate programs and the significance of research experience. While it's suggested that research experience is beneficial, especially for strong references, it is not deemed mandatory for admission, particularly for less competitive programs. Engaging in a senior thesis, volunteer work, or summer jobs can also provide valuable experience. Additionally, it is recommended to directly contact prospective graduate programs to clarify specific admission requirements and the relevance of courses like physical chemistry.
set
Messages
58
Reaction score
0
Hi, I'm an applied math major who wants to go to grad school for molecular biology. In my plan, I have included:
  • Intro to cell biology & lab
  • Intro to genetics
  • Intro to microbiology
  • molecular biology & lab
  • advanced cell biology
  • bioinformatics
  • biological sequence analysis
  • intro to biochemistry
  • intro to organic chemistry
I was wondering if those courses are enough.
Also, how important is research experience? I don't think I can get one while in undergrad, but I am not shooting for top schools either.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Really these are questions for the graduate schools that you're interested in attending. I don't have much experience with molecular biology programs, but I highly suspect they are primarily interested in students that have degrees in molecular biology, much in the same way physics gradaute schools are primarily interest in students with undergraduate degrees in physics.

Why not check out a few gradaute programs the seem appealing to you and ask them what they need you to have in order to be considered for admission.

Generally with respect to reseach some kind of experience helps, but it's not manditory. (My experience is with physics, but again, I suspect it's the same in biology). Remember that a senior thesis project can count in this respect. So could a volunteer position or a summer job. The big factor that comes with research experience is that it gives your references something to say about you. If you haven't done this, then you might need to have something else they can draw on - success in a reading course perhaps.
 
Thanks, I'll try to contact them directly.
 
What about physical chemistry, I think that should be relevant as well.
 
set said:
hi, I'm an applied math major who wants to go to grad school for molecular biology. In my plan, i have included:
  • intro to cell biology & lab
  • intro to genetics
  • intro to microbiology
  • molecular biology & lab
  • advanced cell biology
  • bioinformatics
  • biological sequence analysis
  • intro to biochemistry
  • intro to organic chemistry
i was wondering if those courses are enough.
Also, how important is research experience? I don't think i can get one while in undergrad, but i am not shooting for top schools either.

I don't think you need all of those classes to get in. Research experience is supposed to be really important and you can get it in grad school. I'm trying to do biology grad school as well.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Thread 'Hepth programs in Europe'

After a year of thought, I decided to adjust my ratio for applying the US/EU(+UK) schools. I mostly focused on the US schools before, but things are getting complex and I found out that Europe is also a good place to study. I found some institutes that have professors with similar interests. But gaining the information is much harder than US schools (like you have to contact professors in advance etc). For your information, I have B.S. in engineering (low GPA: 3.2/4.0) in Asia - one SCI...
View full post »

Thread 'Should I pursue a masters degree after 4.5 years working in IT?'

I graduated with a BSc in Physics in 2020. Since there were limited opportunities in my country (mostly teaching), I decided to improve my programming skills and began working in IT, first as a software engineer and later as a quality assurance engineer, where I’ve now spent about 3 years. While this career path has provided financial stability, I’ve realized that my excitement and passion aren’t really there, unlike what I felt when studying or doing research in physics. Working in IT...
View full post »

Thread 'Tips for a CS and physics major'

Hello, I’m an undergraduate student pursuing degrees in both computer science and physics. I was wondering if anyone here has graduated with these degrees and applied to a physics graduate program. I’m curious about how graduate programs evaluated your applications. In addition, if I’m interested in doing research in quantum fields related to materials or computational physics, what kinds of undergraduate research experiences would be most valuable?
View full post »

Similar threads

Admissions Graduate school admission chances
Replies
7
Views
2K
Switching from Biology undergrad to Physics grad....
Replies
17
Views
5K
Courses Advanced Math for Computational Material Science Engineering
Replies
2
Views
1K
Programs Computational neurosciences: what to expect contentwise?
Replies
2
Views
1K
Preparing for Grad School: A Organic Chemistry Review
Replies
2
Views
2K
Other Physics PhD after working for few years
Replies
12
Views
3K
Admissions Curious about my grad school prospects
Replies
3
Views
3K
Admissions Research experience for physics grad school application
Replies
7
Views
2K
Mathematical/Computational Biology - grad school
Replies
3
Views
2K
Programs Should I switch my major to Molecular Genetics?
Replies
2
Views
2K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top